local localGroup = display.newGroup()
local shapeGroup = display.newGroup()
local shapesPrevArray = {}

local shapeWidthCounter = nil

local prevCurrentLevel = currentLevel --set the gobals to locals once they're loaded in to save resources.
local prevCurrentLevelPack = currentLevelPack --set the gobals to locals once they're loaded in to save resources.
local levelPacks = require "levelpacks"

shapeWidthCounter = 0

function new()

            for i, child in ipairs(levelPacks[prevCurrentLevelPack][prevCurrentLevel].shapes) do --iterates through information in levelpacks module.

                if levelPacks[prevCurrentLevelPack][prevCurrentLevel].shapes[i].type == "rectangle" then --if the shapes are rectangular then...

                    prevShape = display.newRect(levelPacks[prevCurrentLevelPack][prevCurrentLevel].shapes[i].x, --assigns the information to the shape display object.
                    levelPacks[prevCurrentLevelPack][prevCurrentLevel].shapes[i].y,
                    levelPacks[prevCurrentLevelPack][prevCurrentLevel].shapes[i].width,
                    levelPacks[prevCurrentLevelPack][prevCurrentLevel].shapes[i].height)

                    prevShape.xScale = 0.4
                    prevShape.yScale = 0.4
                    prevShape.isVisible = false

                end

            shapeWidthCounter = prevShape.width + shapeWidthCounter + 15 -- use this for the scroller width, add 15 to every space between shapes.

            table.insert(shapesPrevArray, prevShape) -- inserts it into the array we created earlier.

            end

            print (shapeWidthCounter)

        local p = display.newRect(0, 0, shapeWidthCounter, 50)
        p.alpha = 0.5
        p.x = 200
        p.y = 41 --from top of screen
        shapeGroup:insert(p)

        local pCurrentShapeCounter = 1

           for col = 1, levelPacks[prevCurrentLevelPack][prevCurrentLevel].ammount do

                shapesPrevArray[pCurrentShapeCounter].x = 15  + shapesPrevArray[pCurrentShapeCounter].width
                shapesPrevArray[pCurrentShapeCounter].y = 41

                shapesPrevArray[pCurrentShapeCounter].isVisible = true
                pCurrentShapeCounter = pCurrentShapeCounter + 1

           end

        shapeGroup.x = -40

        localGroup:insert(shapeGroup)